Garmin Forerunner 610

Just after some advice really, have been using my Garmin Forerunner 110 since I began training in Feb this year, feel I want to upgrade now to the Forerunner 610 so I can get the virtual training partner to try and better my pace.

How good is this function? Have I understood correctly that you can set it to the pace you want to run at and then it tells you to speed up/slow down?! Also you can run a previous route and race yourself?

Any advice/reports on this watch would be of great help as it's quite expensive to not like/get the use I want out of it!

The virtual training partner is a great function. You set your pace and the watch will alert you when you are in front or behind it. It also tells you on the display how far in distance and time you are in front of it. I've used it a lot to maintain paces while out running or to make sure I finish a run withing a certain time.

Yep that's a pretty accurate description of the Virtual Partner feature. I've got the 610 and actually used Virtual Partner to pace myself during the Berlin Marathon. Worked a treat. It constantly updates telling you how far ahead / behind you are of a theoretical runner at that constant pace.

I haven't actually used the Virtual Racer function yet but what you describe sounds right. E.g. if I wanted to race my against my Berlin performance in my next marathon I'd just upload that to the watch and race against it in my next marathon, in the same way as Virtual Partner. And you can upload other people's courses too.

I'm really happy with the 610 so far. It is expensive though, I picked mine up in the states for around £200, which made it a slightly easier decision...

"How good is this function? Have I understood correctly that you can set it to the pace you want to run at and then it tells you to speed up/slow down?!"

It's great and you understand correctly. There are a few ways to do it. You can use the virtual partner as others have said or you can configure it to do complex workouts with multiple intervals at different paces or even ranges of pace.

"Also you can run a previous route and race yourself?"

Yes that's called virtual racer. Haven't tried that myself though.

In general I have found the 610 to be a fantastic bit of kit. Turn on 1sec sampling for more accurate tracking. If you program custom workouts, be aware that some of the other alerts don't work and neither does auto pause.

Garmin have just announced the 910XT. If you are into multiple sports, I would hang on for that.

Thanks for all your tips guys, only run so think Im gonna take the plunge and go for it. Going to sell my beloved 110. It looks like an amazing piece of kit and I need something to push me. LAst time I went out to run with a partner took 10 mins off my 13 mile pace just from being pushed!

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